Trinity Lutheran Church stands at 3621 Tulsa Way in the Fort Worth Cultural District, on the corner of Montgomery Street and Camp Bowie, about a mile north of West Freeway and a mile west of downtown. The ELCA congregation is known for liturgical worship with Holy Communion every Sunday, music drawn from around the world, a children's center that has cared for Fort Worth families for more than fifty years, and steady hands-on ministry with the Presbyterian Night Shelter and other local organizations.
The church greets newcomers with the words, "Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God," from Romans 15:7, and its motto reads: MAKE CHRIST KNOWN; SHARE GOD'S LOVE AND GRACE.
A Congregation Prayed Into Being in 1942
Trinity was prayed into being in 1942, during the early years of World War II. The founding members were faithful Lutherans who had moved to Fort Worth largely from the Clifton area to work in the booming defense industry, and the congregation was organized by Pastor Erling Wold in the backyard of several of them. Very quickly the young congregation acquired a home at 3621 Tulsa Way and remodeled it for administration, education, and worship space.
When the remodeled home no longer fit, the congregation worshiped in the Bowie Theater on Camp Bowie Boulevard, a few blocks west of the Camp Bowie and Montgomery intersection, while a new building rose nearby. The building was designed by the Austin architectural firm of Fehr and Granger, and the congregation accepted their plans in September 1953. Dedication of the new sanctuary took place on September 18, 1955, the congregation's 13th anniversary. In 1963 a fellowship hall and education and administration space were added, along with a parking lot behind the facility, giving Trinity a three-story building whose nave is entered from a breezeway connecting it with the U-shaped building around a courtyard.
As the neighborhood around Trinity changed, the congregation shifted from a mostly nearby membership to a more regional one, while growing numbers of young adults and young families arrived along the West 7th Street corridor and downtown. The continuing construction of the Cultural District, the Will Rogers Center, and the UNT Health Sciences Center nearby has shaped Trinity's focus on reaching the Cultural District of Fort Worth and beyond.
Two Sunday Services and the Weekly Table
Trinity worships in person at 8:30 am and 10:30 am on Sundays, and the 10:30 service is streamed live on Facebook and YouTube, with earlier worship services available to watch. The church describes itself as a Biblically rooted congregation with a strong history of worship that follows the ancient four-part Ordo of Gathering, Word, Meal, and Sending. The result is a service that feels both traditional and current: liturgy, hymns, sacraments, and new innovations all have a place.
The sacraments matter deeply here. Trinity celebrates Holy Communion at every Sunday morning service, and the table is open to all who wish to receive God's grace. The church year is marked through seasons such as Advent, Lent, and Pentecost, and each season is celebrated in ways the congregation finds appropriate and distinctive.
Preaching is a point of pride and emphasis for the community and for Pastors Mohn and Foster. Sermons are Biblically based, follow the Lutheran tradition of Law and Gospel, and are described as lively and informal, connecting to daily life. The congregation follows the Revised Common Lectionary, which takes it through the Bible each year and often becomes the foundation for sermon series focused on specific issues in the lives of families, the church, and the community.
Music From Many Parts of the World
Music is one of the church's strongest ministries. Trinity's music comes from all over the world and reflects the rich diversity of the Lutheran heritage while reaching into new styles from around the globe. The worship life includes an adult vocal choir that provides a weekly anthem during the school year, a bell choir, and an African marimba choir whose custom-made instruments were built in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Occasional guest and member instrumentalists add to the mix.
The marimba group, called Mensu Marimbas, practices on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm and performs periodically, while the adult choir rehearses on Wednesdays at 7 pm and sings during the 10:30 Sunday service. The bell choir also rehearses on Wednesdays. Novices are welcome in any of the groups. Dr. Laurence Furr, the church musician, also offers Musikgarten classes, which are designed for young children and parents to learn music together, and he has taught music for decades. Esther Park serves as Director of Music, bringing degrees in piano, vocal accompaniment, and church music from study in Korea and Germany.
Sunday Morning Classes and a Monday Night Study
Christian education is a major priority, and Trinity offers it for every age. Sunday School serves children ages 2 through grade 6 and begins at 9:30 am between the two worship services. Rather than follow a packaged program, the congregation uses a homemade four-year curriculum that rotates through more than 90 biblical and faith-based topics, seeking to give young children a foundation of faith in their early years.
Middle school students in grades 7 and 8 take part in Confirmation, or Affirmation of Baptism, meeting bi-monthly on Sunday morning after the 10:30 service. Adults gather in classes between the services, including a PhD class and a seasonal class led by Pastor Mohn, with one adult class continuing through the summer while most classes take a break. On Monday nights at 6:30 pm a virtual Bible study meets on Zoom, and seasonal virtual study opportunities are added. The congregation also keeps a book club.
WITH: A Free Meal and Family Worship on Wednesdays
From September through May, Wednesdays at Trinity have a rhythm of their own. The program called WITH begins with a free meal at 5:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall, moves into worship at 6:00 pm, and continues with small groups until 7:00 pm. The congregation shares this experience with families connected to Trinity Lutheran Children's Center, so the room carries plenty of kid energy, and children play in the courtyard while adults talk over the meal.
WITH is described as a meal and informal worship rolled into one, a time of fellowship and connection where there is always someone new to meet. Outside of the school year, Wednesday evenings settle into a quieter rhythm, with no regular Wednesday evening services apart from the seasonal midweek services of Advent and Lent at 7 pm.
The Children's Center That Grew From Mother's Day Out
One of Trinity's longest-running ministries began in the early 1960s as a Mother's Day Out program staffed entirely by volunteers from the membership. As community needs grew, that program evolved into Trinity Lutheran Children's Center, a mission outreach that today serves approximately 115 children from six-week-old infants through kindergarten with a paid staff of 25 to 30 people. Many children are members of Trinity, while others come from surrounding suburbs and other areas, giving the congregation a significant outreach opportunity. The center is an award-winning daycare and preschool, open Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, and each child is matched to a class based on age and developmental stage.
The Children's Center is a connected ministry of the congregation but is governed by an independent Board of Directors that works in cooperation with the pastoral staff on educational and spiritual development. Trinity members volunteer there, and the children themselves support Trinity ministries in the community. Parenting classes are part of the early childhood ministry, and Mary Strickland serves as Director of the center.
Nights at the Presbyterian Night Shelter
The Presbyterian Night Shelter is the largest homeless shelter in Fort Worth, housing more than 1,000 guests every night and providing meals, job training, help applying for assistance, connections to work, counseling services, and a safe place to rest. Trinity partners with the shelter through donation drives, monetary gifts, and a monthly game night for families. On the second Tuesday of each month, a group from Trinity leads a night of board games and bingo for shelter guests, an evening that gives families a chance to unwind and have fun in a place that does not always offer fun.
Trinity also works with the Tarrant Area Food Bank and WestAide to provide food to people who are hungry, collecting and sorting food for both ministries. Beyond these partnerships, the congregation works with Lutheran World Relief, the Lutheran World Federation, the Tarrant community of churches, and other local and state organizations, with a ministry that focuses on raising awareness of needs in the community and doing the work of justice and mercy.
Caring for Older Adults and People in Hard Seasons
Trinity's mission has long included ministry to older adults in Tarrant County through its Eldercare program. Lifeline provides regular contact with seniors, particularly those who have no immediate family living in the community. Consultative services help individuals and families explore alternatives for living when it is no longer possible to remain in one's own home, and the congregation supports and receives support from the Area Agency on Aging. Continuity of Care brings senior services personnel and resource people together in Tarrant County once a month, and Caregiver Training and Support Groups are also offered.
The church also carries a strong Stephen Ministry, providing caring and listening to people experiencing special times of stress in their lives. Life events are another area of care, with the congregation offering Baptism, First Communion, Marriage, and Funeral services for people marking major moments and for those mourning a loss.
Academy 4, Quilting, and Ways to Serve
Trinity has partnered with Academy 4, a mentoring program that connects fourth graders in Title 1 schools with positive adult role models. The program teaches life skills that equip children to become their best selves while expanding their horizons, and it takes more than 90 volunteers to run at Woodway Elementary. Trinity works alongside other Lutheran churches in southwest Fort Worth and additional organizations to build that volunteer pool, and membership is not required to take part.
Other groups offer ways to belong. A young adults group called ACT gathers for a meal, outreach, and occasional bigger trips. The quilters meet in the Fellowship Hall on the second Sunday of the month at 10 am to sew blankets that are sent all over the world. Art is also part of life at Trinity, with Advent and Lenten displays and art shows. Serving in worship takes many hands, and the church names the roles: reading, assisting minister, usher, online greeter, altar guild, acolyte, crucifer, children's sermons, and communion assistants.
Two Pastors, One Congregation
Lead Pastor Rev. Kendra Mohn has served at Trinity since 2010, first as Teaching Pastor from 2010 to 2016 and now as Lead Pastor. She was ordained in October 2005, earned her MDiv at Luther Seminary, and holds a PhD in Biblical Studies from Brite Divinity School at TCU. Associate Pastor Will Foster joined the staff after earning his Master of Divinity at Luther Seminary in 2016 and was ordained in 2017. Alongside them, the church is served by Director of Music Esther Park, church musician Dr. Laurence Furr, and Director of the Children's Center Mary Strickland.
At 3621 Tulsa Way, the work continues each Sunday and Wednesday: a congregation that traces its identity to the Ordo, its music to many parts of the world, and its mission to the people of Fort Worth who need a meal, a safe night, a helping hand, or a place at the table.